Seven words
by ShadowDianne
Summary: "i found your number in a library card on a scrap of paper with some really confusing random words i'm intrigued and i'm calling you so you can explain" au (Original post from lukenberry on tumblr)


**A/N So yes, I don't know if the original person who wrote the post on tumblr would have liked to have something like this written down because of her idea but who knows. Just enjoy this random idea and list it under the things sometimes I want to write in the middle of the night when I should be sleeping.**  
**A little note, Since I'm assuming that libraries work and had the same standard rules no matter what library we are talking about if anyone finds something weird just bear with me and sorry in advance.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own either the idea or the characters, but I will return them as soon as I finish playing with them, promise**

**Seven words**

Emma Swan yawned as silently as she could while hiding her mouth to the rest of the library with her right hand. Her neck cracked slightly and she groaned, suddenly deciding that her break was near enough to start it right away instead of keep trying to understand her overall impossible hand writing.

The library was only half full due to the early hour and here and there students were trying to focus either in the paper they needed to finish or in the book they needed to read, tired eyes and silent groans filled the place and Emma nodded to herself, silently deciding that she was going to go for a coffee, her brain needing as much fuel as she could provide him. Glancing down at the white sheets half covered in her little and pointy writing she marked the place of what she had last read and stood, mumbling a quiet apology when the chair's legs scrapped against the floor making a high pitched noise that occasioned a few curious glances in her direction.

She turned, decided to go to the coffee shop she knew was a few blocks away when her cellphone vibrated inside her rear pocket making her jump before hiding behind one of the shelves that still had had all of the books in there instead of being scattered all around the library in the many students attempt of using them. Reading the text message as fast as she could she rolled her eyes: Ruby was half way there so that meant she couldn't go to have her caffeine fix before her brunette friend arrived. Sulking, she put her forehead on her free hand and muffled another yawn, vowing to herself that she wasn't going to see any more reruns of old shows before her exams ever again.

"Yeah, right" She murmured knowing full well that she probably was going to make the same mistake that very same night. Glancing at the shelf full of books in front of her she smiled when she saw that she was in the noir section and, shrugging, she decided to try to read something before Ruby appeared, hopefully, with some sweets to help her focus on what was the longest stack of notes she had ever made.

She grabbed one of PD. James novels and returned to her seat, briefly reading the back cover as she tried to remember if she had already read that one. She had always loved the noir or whodunit novels and one of the first memories she had was of herself trying to read Doyle's novels while her foster mother tried to fed her other, quite more insipid, books. Chuckling at the memory of how Mary Margaret had finally accepted defeat and had let her read those "gruesome" stories at the age of eleven she turned her attention back to the novel, her hands caressing the battered cover and equally mistreated book spine. It looked like someone had opened it forcefully instead of how a new book needed to be opened and shaking her head she opened it as carefully as possible finally starting to read while her memory rummaged through her mind until she recalled what that book was about and the motives of the killer alongside with the phantom pain she always had in her hands when she read how the body had been found…

She soon found herself completely engrossed with the different stories that were intertwined between the victim and the possible and numerous murderers. So fascinated she was that she didn't heard Ruby sitting next to her or the whispered greeting the lanky brunette said to her.

"Earth to Emma" Her friend said a little louder this time electing a few nasty looks from the nearer students, that, alongside with her friends touch on her right shoulder, made Emma finally look from her book with the slightly dazed look she always had if anyone broke her concentration.

"Huh?" She muttered and when her friend winked playfully at her she blushed, looking down where her notes had been forgotten in shakes of the story. "Sorry, I needed to rest and…"

"You love those little stories of yours, I know I know" Her best friend said with an exaggerated sigh that needed to be cut short when someone in front of them coughed not-so subtly. "Sorry for arriving late…"

Emma shook her head, her friend could be a lot of things but punctual wasn't one of them so, smiling, she pointed at the still open book she was holding in her other hand "Don't worry, at least I started with this book after years of not reading it"

The brunette rolled her eyes but smiled before pulling out her own notes from her backpack. "So, ready to start? I really need to understand this before the exam or I'm going to be dead, and if I die Belle is going to kill me"

Smirking because of her friend's theatrics Emma closed the book and stood- carefully this time as she didn't want to disturb the quietness of the place once again- with the book between her hands, looking for the shelf were she had found it. "Give me a sec" She whispered to Ruby before approaching the two shelves that had "Noir Section" written in two signs at the entrance of the narrow aisle they made.

Walking inside she soon found the author's initials in one of the shelves and there, between the books, there was the gap where the one she was holding had been until a few minutes before. She tried to put it there but something in the shelves blocked the normal clean path and frowning she moved aside a few more books trying to put them in order once again.

Once two more books were carefully put away she found what had been blocking the shelves; a library card that someone must had put inside one of them- probably the one she had grabbed- and had forgotten to take it before returning it to the library. Slightly curious of who could have forgotten a library card she took it and put it in her pocket next to her phone before returning the books to their original place nodding to herself when she managed to fit them all in the shelf.

Still curious, she returned to her seat, her right hand clutching the card where a little paper was stack with glue at the front, hiding the number of the owner.

"Took you long enough" Ruby commented but Emma didn't answer, her eyes glued on the card that; once she put the paper aside, she could read the name printed on it: Regina Mills.

Humming she returned to the paper in where a few numbers and some incompressible words were written down in a neat hand-writing. Emma's mind briefly recalled the moment her linguistic teacher had told them the mysteries of graphology but she hadn't exactly been listening to the lecture so she just focused on what probably was Regina's telephone number.

Shaking her head she sighed, she needed to return the card, not wonder if she should call to someone's number just because she had found said person's card in one library shelf. Besides, she reasoned, she didn't know if that number was the person's or just someone that Regina had wrote down for some reason.

Putting the card aside alongside with the paper in which the number and the seven different words were still winking at her curiosity, she tried to focus on her impossible notes failing immensely since everything she could think about now was what those words meant for that woman.

Emma was incredibly curious, that had been the main reason to study criminology instead of what her foster parents had tried to make her chose; laws. And even if she was a disaster more often than not she had that stubbornness that had made read everything crime related before she was fourteen and be adopted after being considered too old to consider it an option. That stubbornness and curiosity was one of her best and worst traits and since she was only a single-task kind of person her mind was only filled with the card and the possibility to just call to that number and discover if it was truly that woman's number or not.

"Who knows" She said to herself in a weak attempt of making her feel less bad for not studying for her exam. "Maybe this Regina is frenetically searching for her card and I make her a favor…."

Nodding she stood and extracted her phone from her pocket, waving at a confused Ruby while exiting the place as she tried to not make any mistake while writing the number down.

The sky outside the library was a pale blue that reminded her her need to read and finish her notes before her next round of exams began but she decided to not focus on the deadline that was quickly approaching her and put the last number on her phone instead before quickly scrolling the seven words that were written down in the paper; "apple" "night" "photo" "line" "picture" "maze" and "bird" neither of them related in any way to the book she supposed had been the one from where the card had fallen.

Swallowing nervously she tapped her screen and listened the few beeps the line emitted at the other side.

Being realistic that few seconds were only that, three or four, but for her the toneless beeps were too long and so she started to think if she really had something to say to whoever replied to her call. Starting to think that she was being stupid she was about to hung when a woman picked up.

The voice was soft and rich, maybe a little deep and sultry if Emma wanted to be honest with herself.

"Yes?" The woman asked for the second time, her voice taking a hard edge that make Emma swallow, suddenly feeling even more nervous than before "Listen, if this is some sort of prank…" The woman said after a few more moments in which Emma didn't dare to speak.

Fueled by that supposition Emma shook her head even if the woman at the other side couldn't see her and replied "No, it's not, I'm looking for… Regina Mills"

At the other side the woman didn't lose her aplomb although the hardness and coldness of the voice disappeared, replaced by what Emma would have called curiosity if she hadn't been so nervous.

"I'm Regina Mills, who is this?"

"I'm…" Emma swallowed "I'm Emma Swan I just found your library card with your phone's number attached so I thought that…"

"That's where it was" Regina replied quickly "I've searching for it and I didn't have any ideas of where I could have put the thing. Where did you find it?"

Emma stared at her phone, slightly dumbstruck by the quickness in which the woman talked. Judging by the sound of her voice she couldn't be much than a little older than her and, smiling when she realized that maybe she had found someone who share her love for noir novels, she replied with a slight proud look on her face.

"I found it at the library, on one of the shelves, the noir section" She provided and when she heard a quiet chuckle of realization she blushed softly.

"That must be it, so tell me, where I can meet you?"

"I'm in the library right now" Emma replied quickly, silently kicking herself for stating the obvious "I mean, I would be in the library for the rest of the day so if you can be here just call me back and I can give it to you"

"All right then, thank you Miss Swan."

"Until later" Emma said nervously but she found that the phone had been already hung and so her voice was lost in the ether.

Turning, she entered in the library once again carefully setting her phone to vibrate strongly if she received any call during the day. Smiling, she approached her seat again only to find Ruby looking at her with a smirk on her face.

"Ok Romeo, spill and tell me who have you been talking with to have such a face" He friend whispered making Emma groan.

"Don't start Rubes, I called this woman, see? I found her card in one of the shelves, nothing to see"

The brunette looked at her for a moment before shrugging.

"Ok, I trust you, but I'm going to go with you to wherever she asks you to go. I don't want to be responsible for your loss because of some maniac"

"She didn't sound like one" Emma said patiently even if she knew that her friend was joking and being the drama queen she always was.

"That's part of the problem" Ruby replied while huffing. "And now Swan, to study, we need to have at least two more pages done per hour if we want to pass Gold's class"

It didn't take long for Emma to become engrossed in notes, at first her mind thought on the mysterious Regina but as the hours passed and the woman didn't appear she found herself focusing more on what was going to be one of her last tests of the term.

"Pst" Ruby said with a smirk on her face after a few hours "Your phone is vibrating dumbass, pick it"

Startled, Emma realized that from her pocket a loud buzzing sound could be heard and taking the phone as fast as she could she breathed in relief when Regina's voice could be heard at the other side of the line.

"Miss Swan" The woman's sultry voice vocalized "I'm sorry for the delay. Are you still on the library? I'm a few blocks away right now"

Emma nodded before remembering that the woman couldn't see her. "Yes, I am. I would be waiting for you at the entrance if you want"

"Very well" Regina replied "Until later then"

Emma returned to Ruby and after a rushed explanation the lanky young woman left the place as silently as possible while smirking at her blonde friend; Emma just too nervous to notice the smug glances Ruby was shooting at her.

"Keep calm" Ruby finally said "She is going to arrive in a few minutes so just breathe"

"Stop it Rubes, we don't know how she looks like it's not like… oh, damn it, I should have told her how I was dressed or something" Emma said groaning; realizing that she didn't exactly knew how that Regina was.

"Mmmh… you sometimes make it everything just too easy" Ruby replied with a huff "But anyways, she will be the one looking for someone so just relax."

Emma nodded still not feeling sure enough but after trying to call Regina once again and finding that the other woman didn't answer she admitted defeat.

It didn't take long for a woman slightly shorter than her to approach the library, black hair, olive skin and quite looking expensive clothes making Emma swallow before deciding that she couldn't know if that woman was the Regina she had spoken with several minutes earlier.

But after a few seconds in which both Ruby and Emma looked at the woman while the woman looked at them with equal doubtful glances Emma felt a push at her right and the whispered laugh of Ruby who winked and pointed at the woman. "Go girl"

Coughing, Emma approached the brunette and smiled politely, focusing on the woman's chocolate eyes, long lashes and blood red lips that… Blushing she tried to speak once again while the woman in front of her raised an eyebrow.

"Regina Mills?" Emma finally asked. "I'm Emma"

The woman's lips parted in a soft smile and nodded "I was asking myself if you or your friend over there" She motioned to Ruby who was looking at them from afar "Were the ones who had found my card. Thank you"

"No worries" Emma said as she handed Regina the piece of paper and the card, the woman bit her lower lip when she saw the paper but didn't say anything and for a moment the two women found themselves staring at the other awkwardly.

"Would you want a coffee?" Emma asked after a few more seconds feeling her cheeks warming up when the woman in front of her narrowed her eyes. "There is a Café near and I was close to my break so…"

"Your friend won't mind it?" Regina replied and Emma looked over her shoulder where Ruby mouthed something close to "You are hopeless"

Chuckling but still feeling a little bit embarrassed Emma shook her head and clutched her backpack.

"I'm sure she won't, she has some other subjects that she needs to study after all" She said clear and loud enough to be heard by Ruby.

"Very well, let me invite you"

* * *

Emma bit her lips nervously as she stared at Regina once again. The brunette woman smiled over the cup of coffee she was removing and nodded graciously towards the library card, now resting between the two of them. The paper with her number was now safely tucked in her purse and Emma's brain couldn't think anything else but the seven words and the beauty sat in front of her.

"Thank you again, I'm a quite avid reader but with little free time in my hands so I'm grateful that I didn't need to go to the annoyance of asking for a new one"

"Any time" Emma managed to say taking a sip of the scalding coffee. Coughing and trying to hide the few tears that escaped her eyes she smiled, meeting Regina's slightly amused eyes for a second before the other woman masked her smile behind her own cup of coffee. "I should be the one thanking you, I've craving for coffee since this morning. Thanks for inviting me" Emma said while making a face at the pain she felt on her tongue.

Regina hummed and took the card, leaving her own cup at one side as she played with the plastic rectangle.

"So, tell me Miss Swan"

"Emma" The blonde muttered automatically and Regina nodded with that amused smile still on her face as well as a playful shimmer on her eyes.

"Yes, Emma" She said before pausing for a second as she dropped the card and took her coffee. Emma's brain noted that the woman seemed to be as nervous as she felt although she was hiding it better and the blonde smiled, feeling a little more relaxed with the knowledge that she wasn't the only one unbalanced. "I didn't have the time to ask you what was the book in which you found out the card"

"I don't know" The blonde replied "I found it in a shelf although I've the suspicion that could be the one I was reading, Unnatural Causes."

"Ah, I remember" Regina said with a quiet nod "It has been a while since I could take something from the library so I didn't notice that the card was missing until a few days back"

"Well, now you can read the whole series if that's what you wanted" Emma said while trying not to sound too nervous. Ruby had been right; she was truly hopeless.

A few more minutes passed between the two women, neither of them looking ready to talk about anything else. Regina silently drank her coffee until it was nothing left and then she started playing with the card once again. Emma drank her coffee also although in a slower pace and looked at the other woman's features feeling mesmerized by the numerous and minimal expressions Regina seemed to be able to do without even realizing. Blushing slightly when she caught herself looking at the brunette with her mouth half open she closed her eyes and groaned inwardly. The silence between then, albeit comfortable, was starting to lengthen and suddenly realizing that Regina was going to probably go at any minute Emma finally decided to ask what the written words she had seen earlier were about. Overcoming her shyness she coughed softly until Regina's dark eyes were focused on her, a smile appearing on the woman's luscious lips for a second.

"I was just wondering if I could ask you how is that your number was attached to the card with those… words" Emma finally said with a shrug, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible "I don't mean to pry, don't get me wrong it's… well, I've got a terrible handwriting and yours was just beautiful so I read the words and…" Blushing she coughed and grabbed the coffee's spoon, fidgeting with it while trying to not look at the woman's face "What… what bird and the rest of them mean? If you want to tell me of course"

Regina didn't respond and so Emma finally looked at her while trying to conceal what she knew was probably a whole body blush by now. The brunette woman was looking at her with a raised brow and what appeared to be a blush on her own, her darker complexion hiding enough to make it harder to know if that was the case. Emma smiled shyly and waited.

"It's quite a silly story" The brunette finally said while finally taking her purse and extracting the little piece of paper. At one side of it Emma could still see the glue shining to the afternoon sun and she smiled a little when some of Regina's digits get stuck on the paper for a second before the woman put the note in the table between the two of them. "I'm always busy and to fight whenever I feel sleepy or tired I tend to write in whatever surface I have silly words that come to my mind. It helps me focus" It was Regina's turn to look at anything but Emma and the blonde chuckled, unable to help herself when the long eyelashes of the woman in front of her fluttered shut for a moment. "I know, it's silly" Regina continued "I think the reason of at least three or four words here are because of…" The word left the woman's throat slowly, with a little nervous glance towards Emma's direction before continuing "… My son, he loves fairy tales and he is being quite adamant to be read Snow White whenever it's possible so I guess the first think that popped in my mind while I was in a meeting was those words. I guess the glue came because some of his crafts."

Emma found herself smiling even if a part of her mind was trying to fit the woman she had met less than a half an hour before with the idea of being a young mother. She couldn't be three to four years older than her and while she didn't saw herself being a mother that young somehow the image made her think of Regina being less perfect and just opening her eyes while her son tried to wake her up at those horrible early hours of Saturday mornings making the woman in front of her grumble but smile to her son. Chuckling she found out that Regina was now looking at her with a questioning look, the nervous shimmer still present on her eyes.

"Believe it or not I was just thinking if you were a morning person a no" Emma replied to the unspoken question eliciting a raised brown and a confused look.

"I am" Well, there went the idea of Regina trying to stay awake on Saturday morning "Why would you be thinking that?"

Emma couched slightly uncomfortable as she tried to explain herself. "When you mentioned your son I had the… please don't think I'm some sort of a stalker, I had the image of you trying to stay awake first thing in the weekend mornings while he is hungry and you ending up writing on your toast or something while trying to stay awake. I was just like that when I was little so…"

Regina looked at her for the longest of times while the Café received another wave of caffeine addicts. Emma moved her feet nervously below the table and smiled, trying to find if Regina was hurt or weirded out because of what she had just described "Probably scared" Emma finally though with a sigh. "I'm an idiot…"

"That's what essentially happens every weekend" Regina finally replied, a smile growing on her lips "I'm a morning person but Henry is a bundle of nerves sometimes and he still thinks that the earlier you wake the better"

"Well, once he arrive at her teen's he is not going to think like that anymore" Emma said smirking "I was like him but after that… nothing has been the same"

Regina chuckled and tilted her head, her eyes not nervous anymore but with something that made Emma feel… eager.

"So" The blonde said trying to regain her composure as best as she could "My friend is going to probably start to wonder if someone has kidnapped me or something."

"We wouldn't like that that happened, would we?" Regina replied as she followed Emma's movements and collected her belongings after standing.

"Exactly" Emma answered rising her backpack "So... do you plan to keep reading that series? There is one that you might like in which you need to read half of the book at least to know what's happening…"

"What if I read it and then I tell you about it?" Regina said once they were outside, the light starting to fade and covering everything in a strange amber glow. Emma found herself gulping twice because of the woman's beauty before she actually registered what the woman had said.

"Tell me about it?" Her mouth suddenly felt dry and when Regina laughed Emma found herself nodding, feeling a little like those toys that had a slightly bigger head and kept nodding after someone's tapped them.

"Yes, if you want" Regina replied and for a moment her smile turned shy and not as confident as she had been until now and Emma found herself nodding.

"It's a date" She said as politely as she could and Regina nodded once before kissing her in the cheek.

"Take care then, I will call you"

"Take care you too" Emma replied already thinking of what Ruby was going to say to her. With a dreamy smile on her face she realized that she really didn't care.

**A/N To anyone who doesn't know who is PD James; She was an English crime writer that died in 2014, her long saga of the numerous cases of Adam Dalgliesh is one of the best if you loved how Agatha Christie wrote her own books and you need something similar. The book Emma is referring at the beginning is the third book she wrote in the series and is about a detective novelist that appears dead inside his boat with his hands cut off. The book she talks about at the end is "Death of an Expert Witness" in which basically the reader is tricked by the author to think that they are reading a story whereas is another one the one which we are being told. (At least that was the one I had in mind)**


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